Tongs



' engaging mechanism; 'll'and the plates lg The plates 12 arep'ivotally connected with-j the inner, end portion of the handle by meansiof a pivot bolt' 3Q'Which' extends 1 throush'the Plates a d: threueh azpr ieetienc or l ug 31, whicheXte-nds from the inner end Soft-he handle lO; In the particular tongs 7 l0 illustratedin the drawings the plates are of the" aeag eagagri meetaiiisa .1 1". 'A'

pin 28 connects the inner end of thefcasing liniitedin their general pivotal movement relative tothe handle by abolt 32 wh chis carried .b'ythe handle 10' and extends'through.

suitable slots 33 provided j; in'the plates 1-2 as is clearlyillustrated in Fig. 1 of the draw- 'a :;;The; slots are made siifiiciently long so that they limit the general movement of the oplatesfrelati'vefto the handle to keep the .nected by nieansofsuitable pivot pins a1; Theinner end-of theirack 13- isFPreterably pivotally connected with thejouter end of the casing engaging mechanism 11. Inithe par 7 I innern1ost::,block4l() of the-rack 13. A pivot plate sand handle in; about the proper workingqrelation without interfering in any way with'the operation'of the tool as hereinafter described. 3

V In accordance with'the present invention, the rack.,13,whi ch' is carried on'the outer end of the .cas'ing engaging mechanism 11, is arfleXible rack'includi'ng a plurality of separate links orblocks 40 pivotally conti-cular formnot'construction illustrated in 3 the drawing a 'pr-ojectionorlugl 42 extends;

from the outermost. block; of the casing 'engaging mechanism between two, projections or lugs t3,'provided onfthe innerend of vthe pin extendscthrough the lugs 42 and 4:3. to

pivotally connect the rackqand, the casing engaging mechanism.- Each "of the. blocks l0 of the rack 13 is provide'd at its: outer end with; a central projection orilu'g .45 and: is r-p'rovidedratits inner end with two spaced clu s-43. V The lu s are desi ned'iand )r-oporti'oiiefd so that the lugs, at adj a-cent, ends i of adjacentvblockscooperatelor mesh, as I have clearly illustrated in, Fig.5 of the: draw- -ings. The pivot vpin's 41 ezite'nds; through the lugs tolpivotally connect adj acentblocks.

In the form o'f'the invention illustrated in the drawings the pins l1;ar'eystraight pins, held 'inplace through theglugsl by means of 1 suitable'cotter keys/i8. Each of the blocks 40, of the rack 13 is provided at its outer side with gear teeth, 49. Thegearteeth-49 on the blocks tOand the pivotal connections between blocks 40 are designed, and proportioned so that therack 1-3 is flexible andc'a'n' conform toga casing and so t l1'at ,the;*gea, teeth/t9. of the s everal'blocks fo m a seizies of teth'whic'h rp r rly' coeperate wi thexteeth or the rack -14; pltvi's tofbe ar, ticularly noticed thatthe construction'ofthe blocks {10 allows them to be interchanged and I simply adding blockstoitsouter end.' a

1. 5. 11 a eorden .withlrt ier invention the rack l-t' 'is" pivotal-1y mounted on the}:

inner endof the handle l0xand is normally" .yieldingly held in an out positionby means of. a spring oO lnthe particular form of the invention illustrated in-the drawings the connect the rack 14 withthe handle asiwell 50 extending into recesses stand provided in the end of the handle 10 and" the inner side rack ltisprovided with-projections o'r-slugs 51 which fit over the projection- 31 onf-the .end of thehandle .10, and receive the pivot bolt 30 sothatthe pivot bolt acts'topivotally 7 as to -pivota lly connect the plates the handle, The spring 50 isia comparatively heavy compression spring pr'eferably a helical spring, arranged between the inner end of handle 10 and the inner sidefof the rack 14,. Inaccordance with "the preferred formQOf construction the endsiof the spring of the rack'lt, respectively. Further; itis I desirable to provide projections or studs 56 on theend: of the handle and: on the inner sideof therackf 14 to: entehdintothespring 7 50 to aid the-{re'cessesbhand 55 in holding the spring in position between the racks and the end;;of the handleL'iThe series ol gear In accordance [with the present invention 7 the rack; 14; is v formedlvvith v shoulder 60 which cooperates with a"; shoulder on; the

end; of the handle. to limit the ain'ount the 7 1 "rack lt'cangbeflmoved outwardly byithe spring. 5 0. In; pra'ctice; the' partsggare ar rangedand-proportioned-so that v the spring ;:;a V '50 is somewhat; compressed and therefore holds the-rack 141 out withjconsiderable; -force" when the rackis its outl position' and the, shoulders 60 and Glare in cooperative; 'ene s m W en it is. d re xto lim the amount-the rackllflg canbe forced ormoved 7 inwardly againstthe resistanceofspring. 50 V thestuds 56 can be proportioned. so that they contact when the rack reachesits innermost j position. -From inspection of thedrawingsir i it will be obviousthat'the rack lei f 1 treme'ly simple inexpensive formation and th'atiit can be easily and quickly re noved, upon removal of {the pivot bolt 30,;jor the purpose of repair (Sr-replacement.

drawings thebolt- 32 cooperates with the In the particular, tongs illu strated l A:

slots33- and the plates l2Jtio limit the gen.- l

eral pivotal movement the.plates relative g 1 to the handle 1O. {In additiontqthis'm ;v

the tongs is provided with a pin 80 which'is removably carried by the handle 10 and ex limit the pivotal movement of the plate 12 relative toithe handle when the tongsiare in operation, {The pin 8 O and slots 81 may be "proportioned 1 and relatedfso {that they. 3 limit: the movement between, the handle and plates to prevent ireleas ementof the" rack 13 from between the; rack '14 pipe (1., Further, as a safety'de'vicea chain S Z isattached v to, 1:he handle ,lQ and is, adapted ,to be garranged in connection With a hook; 83 ,ong the outer end ,portion the casing engaging mechanism 11 to hold the cas ngengag ng mechanism in the O era'tiVG-POSitiOH;as is illustratedin Fig. 1. r

I fort-h initheaboveicopendingj application.

1T0 applythej tongs 'to a casing (1, the

casing engaging mechanismll isopened our, 7 gthatf-is, the-outergend of the mechanism: 11;. is swung awayz'from the handle Zuntil it will ureceive; the casing. .HN Viththe casing 4 en 7 gaging {mechanism opened out;.the tongs is, brought "into engagement with; the casing V thehandle: 10; being injpos'ition to allow the.,casingyengagingmechanism vll efto be closed? and r the rack; 13, to ,be extended be tween the plates 12s0 that it is betwe-en-the end-:of the handle 10 and the casingftcwf {Durin the closing of, the-leasing engaging mechanism 11 it automatically: 1 operates throughout its length so it uniformly fits or engages the i casing when ;it';is in the. closed position; NVhen the rack 13 is in place between the end of the-handle10-and the" casing G? the handle is swung Somewhat in e the direction indicated by the arrow A to bring theteeth'of' the rack 14 into 00- operative engagementwith the teeth of the rack 13. The safety pin is then'arrange'd through the slots 81 and in-the handle 10 to prevent movement of the handle relative to" the plate such as would allow the rack14 to move out of engagement with therack 13, and the chain 82 is arranged in connection with the hoo k*83. The tongs is then ready tobe actuated. To actuate the tongs the handle 10 is moved further in the direc tion indicated by the arrow A so that the" rack 14 cooperates withthe rack '13 to move the rack 13. between the end of the handle I p 10 and the casingv FC causing the casing engaging mechanism 11 to draw tightly around the casing, The flexibility of the rack 13 allows it, as Well as the'casing engaging mechanism 11, to conformtothe cais-' ing and thus effectively grip it. The rack 14 beingeccentric to the pivot bolt 30 is" moved toward the rack 13 as'the handle is operated in the direction illustrated by the ,arrow A. I-Iowever, the spring 50back of the rack 14 yieldingly holds the rack 14 in engagement with the rack13 so that the rack 14 does not operate to force the rack vHaving-described. onl form of my invention I -do ,not' wish. to limitiiri giw of h s ensthit a i w l a .failinglyhold the 'rafcka14 in, cooperative t on ofth to gssofthat e i ackszb oper- I ateto hold the v casing engaging mechanism" .11 tightly around thecasing' vvithcutl-exerting any excess pressure aga nst the cas ng thenraeksi iii the desiredgripping of the 3,

: i e a-nnQtbe adT Y- he P lli -O the i asing engaging mechanismfll- 'aroundthe casing by means of the' coo'perationof;the

racks the handle can be actuated until the I i o l g v studs 56 cometogether 'whereuponi further'i I The'operation of the present tongszis more; i i orless similar, generally, to "the tongs set actuation of the handle will positively force.

rack 13 to iengage the casing and prevent;

slippage of thetongs'on otheca'sing, From V the foregoing description; it will be obvious that the present tongs may;be efifectivelyf f used on casingsof vari'ousjsizes and that-its 1 capacity can be. greatly varied by varying the length of -thefirackl3;-and,- ifgnecessary;

lngths; l,

by mounting racks 1410f ditferen or configurations and the-Lend; of t 1 O na y he ap c ty .o h 'ite -siean e9 1 bewariecleifectively by simply lyaryin the lengthgof ithe rack 1 ya' itypical preferred myself'to the particular detailshereinabove set forth but, wish to reserve to'myself any! changes 'or variations that may appear" to a 'those skilled in the art and that may fall within the scope of the followingjyclaims. Having described a preferred form of my invention, Iclaimzg v is h 1. A tool of thecharaeter described in eluding, "an "operating aleveri,f a casing eni-c gaging mechanism, and means for operating said mechanism from the lever includinga flexible rack connected with vthe casing engaging mechanism, an eccentricrack piv- I ot-ally mounted onthe lever, and a spring holding-the eccentric rack in position to cooperatewith the first mentionedrack to operate the easingengaging mechanismi 2. A casing tongs including, an operating lever, a casing engaging mechanism having 'l t yConnected with the lov ly 1 V i if i a rackat the other end of 'the' c asing 'en-h gaging mechanism, and "aflr'ack' pivotally mounted on the lever; concentricallywith v I the connection of the casing engaging 1116Chv fanismwith the lever and having its. series,

of teeth eccentric to said point of pivotal v iengagenientswith:raekclg during opera-ijo the racilrlfiagainst thecas'ing G ih w i v 7 it solidly grips it. In practice it is desirable 'toip'rovide' gripping members at-the inner lfi l fthe. Casing engagingmechanism and ,fif v v r f.

' A casl i g'eh gaging mechanism, haviilg a ontinm oils; series oflgear teethe nd a, racl'; pivotally' eunteclron the lever concentrically With he connection 'of the casing engaging Ihech anl'sm wi thitheelevef ancl' having its series m position to" cooperate with the first mentionecl Qruglito Operate the engaging lever, a cas ng engagmginechamsm, a; rack,

'a slngle pin piv'otally connecting both the fiack and one end :of the casing engaging mechanism with the lever, so: that the serj c. of gear teeth 6f the rack is eccefitric'to thepin, and a flexible, rackconnectecl with the V Tether end" offthe basing" engagingmehamsm raln'claclapted-to.cooperzite With'th'e first men- "ti'olieclrtcln 1 '7 '52 (ia'singftongs' including, all operating I r 'pivotally IhOuIit'ed on the" lever-, aflug on hetweei'l'the reek and lever by thelughh cl ,eon ne'eted with the} lever, a rack the nick," sj 111g on the lever, a spring helcl the rack and the lUg-ofithe lever to hold" the 'r'ack awajywfrern' the lever, and; raek earri'ecl by th eothef en'clof easing 'ei'1 in connection 3 with the lever to ho'lcll'it- 11g tongs i cluding; an operating gaging mechanism and adapted to ceepemt'ewith the first mentioned' raclCg-f 6. A casingtengincliltlirig, an-foperat'lng lever, a casin ;en agi gmechanjsm having one end" c'onnec'ted wlth the"leVe1",T a rack pivotally mounted on the leVe1, mea,I 1sffOr limiting outwalcl movement lO f-the" rack rela tlVe to t-helever, a lug on the inner 1 pert,-

of thefraek, a [lug en the lever; 1a spi'ing held betweefi the le'ver and rack byi the lugs; i to hold the rack 'L'1t-,-a,ndaf-1 a,ckCarried by the ether end-0f the oasing engaging mech anism' and adapted to' eooper'ate with the first mentionecl rack.

7. A casing tongs including, atn'bperatl n g I v a1 rack, a -single -:rem0'va,ble' pin p i votally lever,'aflexible casing engaging mechal ism',

connecting beth the;,casi'ng engegingmecha- V 'n'ism and the r'ack with the lever], the series I 3 r f teeth 0f'tl1e' ra, ik"heing e'cceintricitofthe 7 10in means =1ijm1tingeutward movement 015 j fii' t mentioned "ruck'; In witness that I lairii the feregbingi the" recesses, aflhelical 7 over the lugs 5- 'f the rack ela tiveto' the lever pthe rackihava V i ng 'a'recess In lts 'inher pa'rt the leve'r havhave hereunw sflhgcribe'd my name thief-2O 

